Crist supporters torn over indy bid

Some of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s top fundraisers are warning that they will no longer support him if he bolts the Republican Party to run for the Senate as an independent.

It's not entirely clear what his intentions are, but with his veto Thursday of an education reform bill favored by Republicans and repeated refusal all week to say whether he still would seek the GOP nomination, Crist has ratcheted speculation to a fever pitch.

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He has until April 30 to decide whether he’ll stay in a primary in which he trails former state House Speaker Marco Rubio by over 20 points or pursue a third-party candidacy.

If he abandons the GOP race, a group of his most prominent supporters indicate they will not follow him. “I’m a Republican and I’m going to support the Republican candidate,” said John Rood, the state GOP finance chairman, a former ambassador to the Bahamas and one of Florida’s biggest contributors to Republican causes.

Rood, who noted that he was a supporter of the education bill the governor vetoed, said he was hopeful that Crist would stay in the GOP and would be “very disappointed” if he left the party.

“I’m loyal to Republicans,” he said.

Al Cardenas, a former state GOP chairman and Crist backer, also said he wouldn’t back the governor as an independent but went even further, suggesting that Crist should consider dropping out of the race.

“The most dignified posture from my perspective is to acknowledge the primary is not going to happen and keep his options open for the future. At this point, that’s what’s best for him,” said Cardenas, who is close to former Gov. Jeb Bush—Rubio’s mentor. “I imagine it’s a great struggle for him. If you give a recent unbiased analysis of the race, barring anything unforeseen, it’s hard to figure out a game plan where the governor would win the primary.”

Other top Crist donors are torn between their longstanding loyalty to the party and their friendship with the governor.

“I’m in kind of an awkward spot,” explained Al Austin, one of country’s top GOP donors and a Tampa developer who attended Crist’s 2008 wedding.

Austin, though, may have an easy out—he’s working on bringing the 2012 GOP convention to his hometown and said he may just focus his attention on that project.

“Most of my energy is involved in that,” he said.

Other Crist supporters are equally torn, if less expansive.

Jordan Zimmerman, a Boca Raton advertising executive and co-owner of the Florida Panthers hockey team who has hosted a fundraiser for Crist in his home, paused and audibly sighed before answering a question about what he’d do if the governor bolts the GOP

“I think I’d rather not comment at this time,” Zimmerman said.

But asked if he would prefer Crist stay in the primary and run as a Republican, Zimmerman didn’t hesitate: “Oh absolutely, yes.”

Sarasota-area Rep. Vern Buchanan, who came out for Crist early, was also non-committal.

“We are waiting to see what Charlie does,” said a Buchanan spokeswoman.

When he was asked about his decision again Friday in Miami, Crist again demurred.